I’d really like to have something up to Walk/Talk for Jane’s Walk. So what if we kept the current Week of Welcome format for something like 3 weeks, then went for a clean slate, giving us 2 weeks of Collaborative City before Jane’s Walk. The “city” might or might not be finished, but at least there’d be 2 weeks of something to walk/talk. Maybe we could slice the 3 months up into 4 blocks of about 3 weeks. In the 2nd half we might have another open block and another special themed block… ?

• 1-20 April – Weeks of Welcome
• 21 April – 5 May – Collaborative City

What do you think???

And by you, I mean Newton, Mr., but also I mean anyone else who wants to chime in with ideas, thoughts, questions, etc!

Thanks V, Only concern is getting a jump on organizing the 2 week city project in terms of participants. Also Newton and Marie are limited by RL starting the week of April 10. I worked your comments into the Google Doc, and others can see it too if they want to.

How much time and energy do you and Izzy have for the pop-up cities in April and May? As of now, Newton could kick it off the week of May 8 and run a workshop on May 13. But we will be away for 7-10 days between the 20th and the 30th.

In addition to my above reply, I think it’s a good idea to wait on the pop up cities until May and June, so that some community building can happen. I think people need to get a sense of how they can contribute to builds, even if they don’t build with prims and mesh (texturing, project managing, other types of collaborating).

so keep the Weeks of Welcome through Jane’s Walk? And then maybe move on to Pop-up City on 8 May?

That might be good. I do think we need “ramp up” time for CAA-VUP. I’m thrilled with what’s happened so far, but it isn’t the beehive that LEA23 was. Partly I think that ramped up slowly also. And partly I think we’d been doing more projects so the VBF group was more connected and engaged. Peeps like Newton, Mr., have been awesome at continuing the creativity, but at least on my end it’s been a pretty long radio silence. Still, it’s exciting to see both old friends turn up, and to meet new peeps. It’s interesting the number of CAA-VUP participants who are “new” to me, but have actually been on the grid for 8-9-10 years. I’m not sure how much being next to LEA5 helps, but for sure it at least helps a little. LEA2 on the other hand, can, of course, drown in their own damn curtain walls! 😛

Many people who are currently rezzing on LEA1 are very connected and engaged with each other. For the past 2 years, they have been producing together inworld steadily, and at least 6 of them have been working together very closely. The amp up will be good for cultivating awareness of these groups, for everyone’s sake. But this awareness thing goes both ways. People who are rezzing on LEA1, by virtue of doing that, are encouraged – dare one say obligated? – to reach out to others and make themselves and their interests known, and chime in.

I have to second what Myra said, “I use GIMP a lot, but I certainly don’t know it” It’s a powerful program, but also complex with a non-intuitive user interface. I think the same could probably be said for Photoshop, which I have hardly ever used.

I don’t actually know how many people want to learn Gimp. I do know that for people without the resources to buy it, Photoshop can be very expensive. Gimp is free and open for everyone. So it’s really a desirable platform.

I do know that Oona is someone who really wants to be doing graphics but can’t afford Photoshop and doesn’t know Gimp. She’s been hosting at KATYPERRYOPOLIS! and would love to make fliers for events there but doesn’t have Photoshop and is lost with Gimp.

If Myra knows a little, Elle knows a little, and Oona has some desire, that sounds like more than most of our classes start with! I’d encourage the 3 of you to pick a time, invite the campus, and see what can be collaboratively learned. If that causes an expert to crawl out of the woodwork, awesome! But if not, I bet Oona’s desire plus whatever Myra and Elle might know might be enough to let Oona make KATYPERRYOPOLIS! fliers. Since she’s wanted to do things like that for a long time, that’d be a great result for MU’s semester @LEA23!

Gimp wouldn’t work well for flyers, because it’s not a publishing tool. It doesn’t do layouts and such. In fact, it’s horrible for handling text.

T-shirts, yes, that it does.

Oona. I mostly make furniture, but the principles of applying textures are mostly identical. Clothing requires a little more tweaking. I don’t think I want to teach a course, but I’m happy to explain it and load you up with links. : )

It’s not too hard once you get the hang of it. Once you do, you’ll realize you could spend hours fussing with a texture to get it just the way you want it. Are you sure you really want that? Prepare yourself for the time sink known as SL building! j/k : )

How about a gimp learning party where we can ask questions of each other as we all try to make a poster or other work of art. I know people who use gimp for book covers. You can definitely make a flyer with it. Let’s pick a time and get Oona going and learn stuff.

Well after many incantations, slacks(?), help from Izzy and rmarie (ty!). My GIMP 101 class is on the calendar.

GIMP 101 – Learn basic skills in GIMP open-source software. This class will provide an overview, discussion, optional sharing and support. The course will have a strong guided self-study component. Guidance for further learning on your own and a simple weekly hands-on assignment will be provided at each class.

Thanks Newton! When I realized that Dance Anywhere, Jane’s Walk, and Manifesto for Virtual Maintenance Art were all having a “planetary alignment” during the coming 3 months of MU, it was too irresistible an opportunity not to put together a programme.

Needless to say, I was also significantly influenced by your own Cafe Sophistry project!

Well, since the CVPA is all about working toward a compendium of virtual experiences created, perhaps outcomes of the work people do in a CS section could also be applied toward the certificate. So far I know two people will be sharing work at the final Gender and Virtuality gathering on March 29 so they will have “completed” that. It would be neat to give a sense that they are one step closer to a larger MU-related goal. See what you think, or if that even makes sense!